Okamiden gets a firm US and European release date

Capcom has announced it will release Clover Studio's Okamiden in North America on March 15 and in Europe on March 18.

Those interested in the game in the US may want to check out the GameStop pre-order offer of  a touch screen instrument in the shape of a paintbrush and a custom screen cleaner featuring original game art. This bonus is limited to 20K units.

Folks can also enter to win a 3DS, a copy of the game, Chibiterasu plushies, and other cool prizes while testing their painting skills with the new Goblin Mask Facebook app, which is available by clicking the Goblin Face Graffiti tab here.

The app is based on a challenge that Kuni and Chibi encounter in the Demon Market where they draw a face on a cloth in order to pass through without being recognized. You can also draw funny or scary faces on any photos of your friends in traditional Okamiden style using the app.

We seriously want that plushie, and at the moment it is only available for purchase in Japan. However, we did speak with the head of merchandising for Capcom at PAX Prime about the adorable stuffed dog, and were told it was being "worked on" for the US. Please Hurry. Our stuffed Volpix and Chocobo are getting lonely on the spare bed.

Day one for us on all fronts. The game looks adorable, and if Okamiden producer Motohide Eshiro has his way, we may eventually see the series on 3DS as he finds the concept "interesting".

That would be day one for us as well.